Size: Grows up to 5 feet tall.
Flower: Heads are yellow and are located singly at the tips of branched stems. They are armed with 1 to 2 inch spines radiating out around the flower head in a star shape.
Leaves: First season leaves form a rosette of deeply lobed leaves up to 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Leaves growing low, on a second season plants, are deeply lobed and are 2 to 4 inches long. The upper leaves are narrower, pointed, and smaller. Both the stem and the leaves of the mature plants have a woolly appearance.